Over a year later.
“Is that demoness from the demonic cult really that beautiful?”
“See for yourself, and you’ll know!” The speaker sat in a tea house, shaking his head with a proud expression. “I’m not exaggerating. Those who saw her on the roof of Tingjian Manor back then will remember her for the rest of their lives. She truly is a devastating beauty… No wonder Lu Chengsha fell hopelessly in love with her.”
“I also wanted to ask, is Lu Chengsha really as powerful as they say? Did he really overpower Young Hero Chu every single time?”
Hearing this from the teenage boy, the surrounding people couldn’t help but laugh. “You must be new to the Jianghu!”
“If you had said this a couple of years ago, you would have been laughed at. Do you find Young Hero Chu Jun ruthless and terrifying?”
The young swordsman, fresh to the world of Jianghu, nodded vigorously, agreeing, “I don’t dare look him in the eye. I’m afraid if I do, he’ll trouble me. He’s really not someone to be trifled with.”
“Lu Chengsha was even more terrifying than Chu Jun back then. Forget looking him in the eye; some people didn’t even dare get close to him, fearing his killing aura would harm them!”
The boy was astonished. “Really? Is he truly that powerful? Why doesn’t he come out now? He was only expelled from Tingjian Manor. As long as he doesn’t do evil and hasn’t really fallen from grace, there are still many people in the Jianghu who remember him and want to see him… uh, actually, I’d like to see him too.”
“Haha, you mean the kind of presence that makes people’s legs tremble?”
“Sigh, it’s all because of that demoness. When he was expelled from Tingjian Manor, she caused a huge commotion because Lu Chengsha refused to join her in harming the righteous path. Lu Chengsha, with his stubborn personality, didn’t say a word in his defense, causing everyone to believe he had colluded with the demonic cult and fallen into the evil path. Now it seems that might not have been entirely true. It’s a pity that Old Manor Master Lu, to prove his innocence, drank poison and nearly died. Although he was saved, his health was greatly weakened. Lu Chengsha probably feels too guilty to show his face again.”
“However, the demoness has been wreaking havoc in the Jianghu since then, especially targeting Tingjian Manor. Although she doesn’t take lives, she always causes chaos among the disciples, making their lives miserable. She truly hates Lu Chengsha.”
The boy couldn’t help but lean in again. “Why does she hate him so much? Isn’t Lu Chengsha deeply in love with her?”
“Even if he was deeply in love, he refused to join the demonic cult and commit those evil deeds. Back then, Lu Chengsha was truly good to her, protecting her in every possible way and not allowing anyone to harm her. Young Hero Chu Jun only tugged at her sleeve, and Lu Chengsha immediately drew his sword against him… Not only that, but Lu Chengsha was completely devoted to her. He never glanced at any other woman besides that demoness.”
“Exactly! During the sect war, my senior brother saw them together. Lu Chengsha, normally as hard as steel, became as gentle as water when with her.”
The others chimed in, describing Lu Chengsha as a deeply affectionate man.
The boy couldn’t help but feel confused. “Is this the same person you were just describing as a fierce and ruthless man?”
“Of course, it is! Clearly, you haven’t experienced the stirrings of love yet. Which man can remain fierce and ruthless when he meets the woman he likes? They all become as gentle and considerate as possible. It’s just a pity that he devoted his heart to the wrong person, leading to such a tragic end.”
“Indeed. Back then, we all thought he had colluded with the demonic cult, protecting her to the extent of drawing swords against his own sect members. We even cursed him for it. Looking back, he was truly pitiful. He did everything for that demoness, but she was just pretending to care, wishing for his death. He ended up expelled from his sect. If it had been any other woman, she would have been entirely devoted to him.”
The boy sighed along with them. “The people of the demonic cult are truly terrifying. Will we ever see Lu Chengsha again?”
“Who knows? We’ll have to see if he participates in next year’s Sword-seeking Assembly at Baiya Peak. This year, he was finally ranked first on the Young Heroes List, replacing the empty spot. I wonder what Dongfeng Buye Tower was thinking.”
“Perhaps Baiguzi, the principal author of the Jianghu Manual, also felt sorry for him.”
“Speaking of which, is Young Hero Bai Yijiang from Baiya Peak still in seclusion? He’s another pitiful one, sharing a similar fate with Lu Chengsha, both fallen at the hands of the demonic cult demoness. It’s said that the demoness named Yin Xiangsi even went to Baiya Peak to find him, scaring him half to death.”
The boy’s ears perked up. “What’s the story with Young Hero Bai? Did he also fall in love with the demoness?”
The person beside him chuckled and whispered a few words into his ear, causing the boy’s face to turn red. He stammered, “There… there’s such a thing…” He hesitated for a while before saying, “But if that’s the case, why didn’t that demoness do the same to Lu Chengsha? If she had such means, wouldn’t it have been better to ruin another righteous hero?”
This question left everyone momentarily stunned.
The young man, not yet entrenched in the strict dichotomy between the righteous path and the demonic cult, asked with innocent curiosity, “I think she might not be so heartless toward Lu Chengsha after all. You see, in the end, besides saying that Lu Chengsha refused to join the demonic cult, she didn’t really do anything to harm him. Instead, she seemed to protect his reputation. My master always says that to understand someone’s true feelings, you shouldn’t just listen to what they say but also look at what they do. She frequently harassed Tingjian Manor, but she never harmed the disciples. Maybe she was just trying to force Lu Chengsha to come out. This way, it doesn’t seem like Lu Chengsha misplaced his affections.”
There was a brief silence before someone laughed and said, “You youngster haven’t seen the true wickedness of the demonic cult. That cult is full of the worst villains who commit every possible atrocity. It’s unlikely to be as you say. She probably just failed to sway Lu Chengsha to truly betray the righteous path and felt dissatisfied.”
“Exactly! That demoness wasn’t entirely devoted to him either. She originally had a fiancé who turned his back on the demonic cult because he couldn’t stand their actions and joined the righteous path. That Young Man Yu was genuinely gentle and kind, yet the demonic cult tormented him terribly over the years. It’s no wonder she harbors resentment toward the righteous path. And now, there’s talk about her ambiguous relationship with the demonic cult leader. In a place like that, relationships are probably quite chaotic. Otherwise, how could that demon, Xie Changyun, be both the father of the current demonic cult leader and…” The speaker suddenly fell silent.
The boy quickly asked, “And what?”
“It’s a sad story. You might not know, but Lu Chengsha’s biological father is also the previous demonic cult leader, Xie Changyun, while his mother was the eldest daughter of Tingjian Manor, Lu Huaixian.”
The boy’s jaw dropped in shock, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg, his face clearly displaying his surprise.
He was stunned for a while before saying, “Why do these demonic cult people always come to bother the righteous path…”
“Probably because the harder it is to get, the more they want it. That’s just how they are… Hey, you look like a decent kid. If you ever meet a seductive young woman showing interest in you, be careful.”
The boy’s face turned bright red.
“Alright, we won’t tease you anymore. Where are you headed, kid?”
The boy finally composed himself, puffed out his chest, and said, “My master says I have good potential, and staying in the sect would be a waste. He wants me to seek a master at Qingcheng or Dangshan, saying that to make a name for myself, I need to join a major sect.”
“You should go to Qingcheng Sect. The rules at Dangshan Sect are so strict they’ll exhaust you.”
The boy nodded earnestly, his determination clear on his face.
“I think so too. Unless you can get Ling Tianxiao’s favor, like Heroine Zuo did, it’s better to join Qingcheng Sect. Mu Xuelang is much easier to get along with than Chu Jun!”
“Speaking of which, there’s a junior disciple in Dangshan Sect who once desperately wanted to become Lu Chengsha’s apprentice. He even knelt and clung to his legs, and tried to curry favor with that demoness. When he learned her true identity, he was so furious he couldn’t eat for days, cursing her for three days and nights, wanting to personally cut her down. If he heard what you just said, it would be quite a scene. Qingcheng Sect is much better in this regard. As long as you don’t mention Miyin Long Cave, talking about the demonic cult won’t get you into trouble.”
The boy nodded earnestly, absorbing the advice. After chatting a bit more, he smiled sheepishly, clasping his fists, “Thank you all for the advice. I need to keep moving! Until we meet again!”
“Work hard! Make a name for yourself, become a renowned hero, fight evil, and uphold the righteous path!”
The boy had walked a few steps away and waved back, shouting, “I will!”
However, the boy did not expect that not far down the road, he would encounter a Dangshan Sect convoy. They wore blue-gray sect uniforms, with black cuffs and collars. The leaders had red headbands fluttering in the wind. Their expressions were solemn and alert, a hallmark of Dangshan Sect.
Curious, the boy secretly followed them but was soon noticed.
“Who are you?”
The boy truthfully explained himself. The Dangshan disciples scrutinized him warily before saying, “Stay farther back, and we’ll pretend we didn’t see you. If you get any closer, don’t blame us if…”
Before he could finish speaking, his fellow disciples shouted, “Trouble! That demoness is here again!”
The boy looked up.
They were in a secluded mountain forest. Apart from the official road, the surroundings were densely wooded, with no sign of anyone approaching. However, the demonic cult’s disciples, dressed in blue uniforms, quickly surrounded the convoy. They wielded various weapons, all with malicious intent.
The Dangshan disciples immediately drew their swords and knives, standing ready.
The boy nervously swallowed and reached for his sword. He had never faced demonic cult members before, only heard of their ferocity and ruthless methods against the righteous path. Just as he thought this, a melodious female voice rang out. It wasn’t deliberately softened but carried a tone that was both sweet and enticing.
“Leave the goods, and you can go.”
This voice sent a shiver through everyone’s hearts.